Vehicle door latch



Sept. 25, 1951 w, A, ENDTER 2,569,047

VEHICLE DOOR LATCH Filed March 13, 1948 f 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 TmPA/fr Sept.25, 1951 W A, ENDTER 2,569,047

VEHICLE DOOR LATCH Filed March 13, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 MLHZWWJQMYAWINVENTOR,

Sept. 25, 1951 w A, END-[ER 2,569,047

VEHICLE DOOR LATCH Filed Ma Oh 13, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 rmP/vfr Sept.25, 1951 w. A. ENDTER VEHICLE DOOR LATCH 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March15, 1948 MIMMAPHI'NDTIP INVENToR.

Patented Sept.. 25, 1951 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE DOOR LATCH.

Waldemar A. Endter, Long Beach, Calif. Application March 13, 194.8,Serial No. 14,683

This invention has to do with improvements in latching mechanismsadaptable particularly to vehicle doors. In certain of its aspects theinvention contemplates improvements upon the type of mechanism disclosedin my copending application Serial Number '705,843 iiled October 26,1946, on Latching Mechanisms for Closures, with respect to the use of adoor-carried keeper part releasable from a pillai -carried holding partor bolt, and to the adaptation for control of the keeper part andlatched condition of the mechanism, of the type of control disclosed ina second copending application Serial Number 640,860 illed January 12.1946, on Lock Control Mechamsm.

Generally considered, the present latch assembly comprises adoor-carried holding part functioning essentially as a keeper by virtueof its capacity for movement, relatively speaking, into and out of thepath or location of a pillar supported holding part or bolt. Theassembly has take-up characteristics in that the bolt is spring urgedagainst and in such relation to the keeper as to exert a constantclosing or take-up thrust against the door in the latched condition ofthe parts. The latch parts are engaged by movement of the keeper intooverlapping relation with the bolt as a result of swinging movement ofthe door as it approaches closed position, whereupon the bolt becomesresponsive to exert a sustained thrust against the keeper. Release ofthe latch, from engaged condition is eiected by manual controls,operable at the inside or outside of the door, to permit the keeper tomove away from the bolt and out of overlapping rela-A wtion, so that thedoor is free to open.

As indicated, my primary objects are directed to control of the keeperin a manner permitting its release by actuation of either the inside oroutside operators, and, by the use of a second inside controloroperator. e. g., push button type, maintaining the keeper againstanti-latching displacement from the bolt when the parts are to assume alocked condition. Particularly contemplated is a control system whereby,in such locked condition, the normal releasing movement of the outsideoperator becomes ineffective to release the keeper, and the keeper ispermitted to assume a locked condition from which it is not releasable,by closing the door while maintaining the outside operator in whatotherwise would be a keeper releasing position.

In accordance with my preferred construction,

,I employ a keeper4 which is displaceable to accommodate the bolt inlatched condition, and

3 Claims. (Cl. 292-498) then becomes blocked against release by a block-Y ing element controllable by the outside and inside operators. Keeperreleasing the outside operator is transmitted to the blocking element bya connection capable of an engaged condition in which such movement ofthe outside operator is transmitted, and a disengaged condition in whichmovement of the outside operator is ineffective to produce keeperreleasing movement of the blocking element. Such conditioning of theconnection is eiected at the inside of the door, as by theaforementioned push button control, and in a manner causing the insideoperator to become ineilective to release the blocking element, as bypositively blocking releasing movement of the inside operator itself. Byvirtue of the disengaged condition of said connection and itsassociation with the outside operator, the latter is made eiective, innormally its keeper releasing position, to maintain the disengagedcondition of the connection, and thus allow closing the door to in eieeta locked condition of the keeper.

The invention has various additional features and objects, all of whichtogether with the details of a typical and illustrative embodiment willbe fully appreciated and understood from the following detaileddescription of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a general view taken in horizontal section through the matingedges of the door and pillar, showing the latch in engaged condition;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view taken in the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 4,showing the control parts at the inside of one ange of thedoor-contained angular housing;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevation viewed from line 3 3 of Fig. 2,showing the engaged bolt and keeper assemblies; i

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the parts in changed positions;

Figs. 6, 'I and 8 are views taken in the plane of line 6-5 of Fig. 3,showing the bolt and keeper parts in progressively changed positions;

Figs. 9 and 10 are fragmentary sectional views taken respectively online 9 9 and lll-Ill oi Fig. 6; and y Fig. 1l is an enlarged viewillustrating certain parts of the bolt and keeper assemblies in engagedcondition.

Referring rst to Fig. l, th latch mechanism, generally indicated at I5,is particularly adapted for application to an automobile door i6 whichcloses against the stationary pillar Il and is adapted to be crowded bythe later described take-up action of the latch mechanism, against theusual pillar-carried cushion il. The door is shown to carry anappropriate outside handle il within the forward tubular end 2l of whichis contained push-hutten type outside operator 2|, the functions ofwhich will later appear.

As best indicated by Figs. 3, 6 and l1, the latch mechanism I5 may beregarded generally as comprising a door-carried keeper assembly 22, anda take-up type holding part or bolt assembly 23 stationarily supportedby the pillar i1. Certain of the door mounted parts of the mechanismassociated with the keeper and its control connectlons, are carried byan angular case 2l contained within the door I6 between its sheet metalsections 25 and 2l, the nanges 21 and 26 carrying the hereinafterdescribed parts of the keeper ,control mechanism.

Referring particularly to Figs. 6 to 8 and 11, the bolt assembly 23comprises a housing 2l secured to the pillar i1 and having' a bottomopening Il, the top surface of the housing being engageable against adoor-carried roller 3i or other form of projection, so that in latchedposition, the bolt assembly has a dove-tail relation with the keeper,al1 as will later appear. The housing 2l contains a bolt 32 projectingdownwardly through the opening 3l, the bolt head having a curved keeperengaging face 33, and a safety catch recess 3l. Within the housing thebolt has a circularly curved portion I5 engaging and retained within thecorrespondingly curved surface It of a cam l1, the latter having anouter curved surface Il, eccentric with relation to surface Il. andengaging a stationary curved abutment 3l. Rotation of the cam in acounterclockwise direction is limited by engagement of its straightsurface 40 with the housing 29. The opposite end of the cam terminatesat a shoulder Ii engageable against the bolt surface I2, as when thebolt and cam rotate together. The cam is constantly urged in a clockwisedirection tending to thrust the bolt outwardly against the keeper, by aspring carried by support M, the free end a of the spring bearingagainst the laterally projectingend portion I! of the cam. The bolt 32is constantly urged in a clockwise direction by spring 46 carried by thesupport 44 and having its free end a bearing against lug Il on member 4Iformed integrally with the bolt or as a separate piece welded thereto.

Normally the springs 43 and It tend to malntain the bolt and cam in thepositions illustrated in Fig. 6. Then as the bolt is displacedcounterclockwise to the position of Fig. 7 engagement of the boltshoulder l2 with the end 4I of the cam causes the parts to rotatetogether. Thereafter. the bolt advances ahead of the cam as the boltenters the keeper, say to the position of Pig. 1l. The position ofmaximum projection taken by the bolt isrepresented by Figs. 6 and 6, inwhich the cam has rotated in a clockwise direction to the limit of itstravel. Further details concerning this type of cam actuated floatingbolt may be had by referring to my copending application Serial No.783,184 on Floating Bolt Latch Mechanisms.

As most clearly illustrated in Figs. 9 to 1l, the door-carried keeperassembly 22 comprises an open top housing Il which supports the outerend of a shaft Il extending through the end wall l2 of the door toterminate in a fixed supporting plate or deck I3. The keeper Ilcomprises an elongated piece mounted for vertical oscillation on theshaft Il, the keeper being displaceable downwardly within the housing lland having an upper surface 6l curved in conformity with the boltcurvature I3, the continul ing keeper surface at Il being substantiallystraight.

The keeper carries a pin I1 extending inwardly through registeringopenings Il and lla, see Fig. l0, respectively in the case nange 21 anddoor face I2 for connection with the control mechanism. as will laterappear. Pin l1 carries a rotatable latch element Il which is urged torotate clockwise relative to the keeper 5l, by a coiled spring Ilencircling the pin and bearing at one end against a projection ti on thekeeper, and at its opposite end against a lug t2 projecting inwardlyfrom the element 59 within opening il. A second lug |62 projecting fromthe opposite side of the element for engagement with the underside ofthe keeper. arrests rotation of the element under the influence of thespring, see Pigs. 6, 'I and 1l. At this point it may be mentioned thatin Fig. l1, the keeper ll has been illustrated in phantom by the dottedlines, to more clearly show the setting lever and latch element parts atthe inside of the keeper.

Shaft Si carries a rotatable setting lever Il comprising an arm Il aboutwhich is placed a correspondingly shaped sheath or shell Il, theopposite side of the lever being formed as a lug 61 for engagement withthe latch element Il. The setting lever is constantly urged to rotateclockwise about the shaft Il, by a spring Il encircling the shaft, oneend of the spring bearing at 69 against' the lug end of the lever, andthe other end of the spring bearing against the housing 60 at 1li.

A control arm or plate 1l is pivotally carried by shaft 5I at the insideof the'case flange 21, see Fig. 9. As particularly shown in Fig. 10, pin51 is carried by arm 1I so that the pin, keeper M and latch element i9all are rotatable with arm 1l about'the shaft 5i. The arm is mounted foroscillation between one extreme position of a engagement with astationary stop 1I, see Fig. 6,

and the position of Fig. 6 in which the upper notched end 14 of the armengages and is releasably held against return movement, by a blockingelement 1l pivotally carried intermediate its I ends by stationary pin16.

Reference conveniently may be had now to the operation of the bolt andkeeper assemblies -as the door is swung from open to fully latchedpositions. With the door opened the parts asgg sume positionsillustrated in Pig. 6, whichshows the keeper I4 to be held below or inoffset relation to the bolt l2. As the door closes, the setting lever 64engages the bolt housing 2l, rotating the lever against the resistanceof spring 6l,

I) and bringing the lever lug 61 against the end 1l of the latch elementil, thus causing the keeper I to be swung upwardly about shaft Il forengagement with the bolt 32. Just in advance of the conditionillustrated in Fig. 7, the keeper nose enters the bolt safety catchrecess Il. Then as the door further closes, the bolt is displacedupwardly to override the top of the keeper and then swing downwardly tothe latched position of Fig. 1l. Here the bolt is urged by Spring Il 70in a direction of advancing or clockwise rotation, while springsimultaneously urges the cam 21 to project the bolt outwardly againstthe keeper. The result is a take-up action tending to crowd the dooragainst the cushion il, progres- 75 slvely with the advancement of thebolt along the keeper to thehome position of Fig. 8. Upon advancement ofthe door or setting lever just beyond the position of Fig. 7, theblocking ele ment swings into the notched end 14 of arm 1| to hold thelatter, together with the keeper, in the normal latched position of Fig.8. Also as the door advances just beyond the position of Fig. 7, thesetting lever lug 61 moves oi the end face 18 of the latch element, withthe result that the setting lever then is permitted to rotateindependently, and relative to the keeper, as the lug 61 enters thenotched end portion 19 of the latch element. Accordingly, in swingingfrom the position of Fig. '7 to that of Fig. 8, the setting lever -64develops added tension in the spring 68, which becomes eective, uponrelease of the keeper, as will later appear, to enable the setting leverto thrust the door open by reason of the spring urged bearing of the armagainst the stationary housing 29.

Referring now -to Figs. 2 to 5, the blocking element 15 is urged toswing in the direction oi' arm 1|, by coil spring 80 carried by pin 8|which serves also as a pivotal mounting for a bell crank arm 82. One endof spring 80 bears against the blocking element at |83, and the otherend engages lug |84 to resist counterclockwise rotation of the arm 82.Normally, the latter is positioned by engagement with a stationary stop|8|. Arm 82 is actuated by the outside operator 2|, preferably of thepush button type including a rod '|86 having an inner head end |81bearing against arm 82, inward movement of the rod being resisted bycoil spring |88.

Downward swinging movement of the end portion 83 of arm 92 istransmittable to the blocking element 15 by way of a connection,generally indicated at 84 in Fig. 4, capable of an engaged position orconditionin which movement of the outside operator is transmitted to theblocking element, and a disengaged condition in which movement of theoperator is ineiective to actuate the blocking element. 'I'he connection84 is shown to comprise an arm 85 which swings on a pin 86, clockwiserotation of the arm being resisted by spring 81 bearing against thearmcarried lug 88. 'I'he upper portion of the arm is established byengagement with the stationary stop 89. A bifurcated piece 90 ispivotally connected by pin 9| to the arm`85, and the assembly isswingable downwardly about pin 86 by engagement with the previouslydescribed arm end 83 with lug 92 on arm 85.

A member 93 rotatable about pin 94 has an arm portion 95, the end recess96 in which receives one end 91 of a reciprocally movable link 99, theopposite turned end 99 of which is received, see Fig. 2, within therecessed or bifurcated end |00 of the blocking element 15. The in-struckcase lug 13 confines link 98 for movement along the case flange 28.Member 93 is rotatable to move link 98 downwardly and release theelement 15 from blocking relation with arm 1|, by way of link 02connected to the usual inside door handle, not shown, and having a pinand slot connection at |03 with the arm portion |04 of member 93.Clockwise rotation of member 93 from the position of Fig. 4, is resistedby the depending end 81a of coil spring 81, bearing against lug |05carried by the curved arm extension |06 of member 93.

Assuming the parts to be positioned as in Figs. 2 and4, inward movementof the outside operator rod |96 thrusts the bifurcated piece 90downwardly against lug |01 on arm 95, causing the latter to pull thelink 98 down and swing the blocking element 15 to position releasing arm1|. The resultant rotation of member 93 occurs independently of theinside operator actuated link |02 by virtue of the pin and slotconnection at |08.

A rotatable control lever ||0 carried by pin 94 is pivotally connectedat with the vusual inside push button rod '||2, and is rotatable betweenthe positions of Figs.` 4 and 5 by vertical displacement of the pushbutton rod. One primary function of the control lever ||0 is to permitselective conditioning of the connection 84 between its engaged anddisengaged positions, and therefore to selectively render the keeperreleasable, or non-releasable, in response to actuation of the outsideoperator. Portion ||3 of the control arm carries a lateral projection orlug ||4 received within the end recess ||5 of the bi,-

furcated piece so that oscillations of arm III reciprocally swing member90 between the illustrated positions of Figs. 4 and 5.

As the push button rod ||2 is thrust down to the position of Fig. 5, theresulting rotation of arm 0 swings piece 90 to a position oiset withrelation to lug |01, such that'vertical reciprocations of the piece bythe outside operator are ineffective to transmit motionV to the keeperrelease. Thus this condition may exist when it isv desired to lockthe.door from the inside, and against re lease from the outside, bythrusting down the push buttonv rod I|2. The same push buttonmanipulation may be used to lock the door against release by the insideoperator, as by bringing lug 20| in the path of hook 200 on link |02.Member 90 however is restorable to its operative position of Fig. 4,either by elevating the push button rod, or by closing the door with theoutside operator in a normal position, permitting the setting lever 64to swing arm 1|/ under lever 15, with resultant simultaneous swJ ging ofthe latch with-member 95, causing its/(extension |06 to engage lug ||8of element 90 and throw it to operative position. Positive establishmentof arm ||0 in the two limiting positions shown, is facilitated by anover-center spring ||9 connected to the arm |20 and acting to urgemember ||0 fully to either of its limiting positions, as the case maybe.

The control lever ||0 is further controllable by an appropriate keyactuated mechanism, generally indicated at |2|. which may comprise a keycontrolled rotor |22 having shoulders |23 and |24 engageable with theend of arm |20 to throw the lever ||0 from either to the other of theillustrated positions. Thus the door may be key locked from the outsideto place the parts in the position of Fig. 5 in which, as explained, theoutside operator is ineffective to release the keeper.

Now assume the door to be openand that it is desired to fully close thedoor bringing the latch parts into locked condition, at least withrespect to their release by the outside operator. By thrusting down thepush button rod ||2, and holding the outside operator 2| at its inposition against resistance of spring |98 so that the lug |8 of element90 is moved out of the path of travel of the extension |08 of member 95,the bolt and keeper parts will fully engage in latched condition whilethe control parts remain in the condition of Fig. 5. Thereafter, unlessthe control lever ||0 is thrown by manipulation of the push button rod||2 or the turning of rotor |22 by key operation from the outside of thedoor, to

asados? restore the parts to the positions ot Fig. 4. the connection I4will remain in its disengaged condition oi Fig. 5 in which. aspreviously indicated, reciprocations of the outside operator rod ill areineliectlve to disturb the blocked and latched 'condition ot the keeper.Connection Il remains in a disengaged condition because, when in thell'ig. 5 position, vertical reciprocation o! the part lace. said keeperhaving an edge surface adapted :in the latching position of said keeperto be dis- 'posed in overlapping engagement with a bolt structuremounted on the edge of the pillar; movable blocking means forautomatically maintaining said keeper in latchingl position; a levermounted for pivotal movement about the same :axis as said keeper andI'engageable by the bolt structure for movement thereby; a catch movablymounted on said keeper and engageable by said lever or moving saidkeeper 'to latching position; and means engageable by said catch forreleasing its lever-'engagement when said keeper reaches latchingposition.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 including a spring urging the leverior movement 'against the b'olt structure.

3. In a latching mechanism having a case structure provided with a taceapplicable to the edge of a door that is adapted to be swung closed intoopposing relation with the edge of a stationary pillar, the combinationcomprising: an elongated keeper mounted adjacent one end thereof on theoutside of said case structure for pivotal movement between.latchingand4 releas- 8 ing positions about an axis substantially to said face,said keeper having an edge surface being eoncavely-curved the-latchingposition ot said keeper be posed in overlapping relation with a boltstrueture mounted on the edge of the pillar; mounted ior pivotalmovement sltion; a lever mounted for pivotal movementaboutthesameaxisassaidkeeperandengage able with the bolt structure formovement ,thereby; a catch pivotally molmted on said keeper andengageable by said leveriorA moving said keeper from releasing tolatchingjpolition by movement of said lever, and fined abutment meansengageable by said catch for moving vthe same out oi' engagement withsaid lever when said keeper is in latchingposition. WALDEMAR. A. m

aar-nassen crrm The following references are ci record file of thispatent:

UNITED STATE PATINTB Number Leiss N07. l2, 19

